Erosion along Palm Beach’s coastline continues to worsen after more than a week of powerful waves and currents caused by a passing storm and king tide.
While Hurricane Imelda is long gone and the latest king tide cycle is ending, strong swells from the north are forecast for Oct. 11-12 after a front moves through the area, said Craig Pollock, chief lifeguard for Palm Beach Fire-Rescue.
“This whole big hit of erosion just hasn’t been friendly to the beaches,” he said. “We had a really nice beach running by Midtown here for probably four or five years,” Pollock added, referring to the last time he recalled seeing similar erosion in town.
Palm Beach had no plans to close any public beach access points as of Oct. 9, Fire-Rescue spokesman Assistant Chief Joseph Sekula said.
Because of the erosion, Palm Beach planned to move its south lifeguard tower farther back onto land to prevent any damage or other issues, Pollock said.
The town’s “saving grace,” Pollock said, is that renourishment is already planned to begin in January. “If we can hang on for a few months, they should be able to start pumping sand,” he said. That project will be done in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The high tide the morning of Oct. 10 should be the final one of the king tide cycle that caused flooding in some low-lying spots on the island, said Chris Fisher, senior meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Miami.
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A coastal flood advisory for moderate flooding was extended through that final high tide of the cycle, he said.
A king tide is a higher-than-normal tide that occurs during a new or full moon, according to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.
This month’s king tide was especially strong because the full moon, called the Harvest Moon, was a supermoon, the term used to describe a large full moon that is at its closest position to Earth, called “perigee,” according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The moon’s effect on tides is stronger during a supermoon.
The front that is forecast to bring more powerful waves to Palm Beach also will bring cooler temperatures to the area, with highs in the low 70s on Oct. 12, Fisher said.
National Weather Service forecasters cautioned there is a minor risk of coastal flooding through the evening of Oct. 11. A high risk of rip currents could also be expected through that time.
October and November typically mark the highest king tides of the season, Fisher previously told the Daily News.
The next king tides are expected around the full moon from Nov. 1-10, for a new moon from Nov. 18-20 and during the full moon from Dec. 2-7, according to NOAA forecasts.
Kristina Webb is a reporter for Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at kwebb@pbdailynews.com. Subscribe today to support our journalism.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: October king tide ends with Palm Beach coastline hit hard by erosion
Reporting by Kristina Webb, Palm Beach Daily News / Palm Beach Daily News
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